Which Big 12 football teams have the toughest schedule in 2025-26 season?

Winning games in college football is pivotal to a program's success, of course. More precisely, beating high-quality opponents early in the season while avoiding pitfalls are the most important keys to earning a postseason berth.

Scheduling at the power conference level has never been more relevant. With over 100 FBS schools competing for a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, the CFP selection committee has to look deep into every team's win-loss record and analyze the biggest games on the calendar, while making note of any disastrous losses against inferior opponents.

With the 2025 campaign less than three months out, here's a look at every Big 12 team's strength of schedule based on ESPN's College Football Power Index.

Big 12 Strength of Schedule rankings

1. Oklahoma State Cowboys

• Overall rank: 67th
• Strength of schedule: 39th
• Nonconference games: vs. UT Martin (FCS; Aug. 28), at No. 6 Oregon (Sept. 6), vs. No. 130 Tulsa (Sept. 19)
• Notable conference games: vs. No. 33 Baylor (Sept. 27), at No. 30 Kansas (Nov. 1), vs. No. 21 Kansas State (Nov. 15)

2. TCU Horned Frogs

• Overall rank: 32nd
• Strength of schedule: 48th
• Nonconference games: at No. 51 North Carolina (Sept. 1), vs. Abilene Christian (FCS; Sept. 13), vs. No. 20 SMU (Sept. 20)
• Notable conference games: at No. 24 Arizona State (Sept. 26), at No. 21 Kansas State (Oct. 10), at No. 29 BYU (Nov. 15)

3. Baylor Bears

• Overall rank: 33rd
• Strength of schedule: 50th
• Nonconference games: vs. No. 14 Auburn (Aug. 29), at No. 20 SMU (Sept. 6), vs. Samford (FCS; Sept. 13)
• Notable conference games: vs. No. 24 Arizona State (Sept. 20), vs. No. 21 Kansas State (Oct. 4), at No. 32 TCU (Oct. 18)

4. West Virginia Mountaineers

• Overall rank: 66th
• Strength of schedule: 55th
• Nonconference games: vs. Robert Morris (FCS; Aug. 30), at No. 85 Ohio (Sept. 6), vs. No. 58 Pitt (Sept. 13)
• Notable conference games: at No. 30 Kansas (Sept. 20), at No. 29 BYU (Oct. 3) at No. 24 Arizona State (Nov. 15)

5. UCF Knights

• Overall rank: 37th
• Strength of schedule: 57th
• Nonconference games: vs. No. 103 Jacksonville State (Aug. 28), vs. NC A&T (FCS; Sept. 6), vs. No. 51 North Carolina (Sept. 20)
• Notable conference games: at No. 21 Kansas State (Sept. 27), vs. No. 30 Kansas (Oct. 4), at No. 29 BYU (Nov. 29)

6. Utah Utes

• Overall rank: 46th
• Strength of schedule: 58th
• Nonconference games: at No. 47 UCLA (Aug. 30), vs. Cal Poly (FCS; Sept. 6), at No. 122 Wyoming (Sept. 13)
• Notable conference games: vs. No. 35 Texas Tech (Sept. 20), vs. No. 24 Arizona State (Oct. 11), at No. 29 BYU (Oct. 18)

7. Iowa State Cyclones

• Overall rank: 45th
• Strength of schedule: 58th
• Nonconference games: vs. South Dakota (FCS; Aug. 30), vs. No. 39 Iowa (Sept. 6), at No. 101 Arkansas State (Sept. 13)
• Notable conference games: vs. No. 21 Kansas State (Aug. 23), vs. No. 24 Arizona State (Nov. 1), vs. No. 30 Kansas (Nov. 22)

8. Kansas Jayhawks

• Overall rank: 30th
• Strength of schedule: 60th
• Nonconference games: vs. No. 78 Fresno State (Aug. 23), vs. Wagner (FCS; Aug. 29), at No. 23 Missouri (Sept. 6)
• Notable conference games: at No. 37 UCF (Oct. 4), at No. 35 Texas Tech (Oct. 11), vs. No. 21 Kansas State (Oct. 25)

9. Cincinnati Bearcats

• Overall rank: 53rd
• Strength of schedule: 63rd
• Nonconference games: vs. No. 25 Nebraska (Aug. 28), vs. No. 104 Bowling Green (Sept. 6), vs. Northwestern State (Sept. 13)
• Notable conference games: at No. 30 Kansas (Sept. 27), vs. No. 33 Baylor (Oct. 25), at No. 32 TCU (Nov. 29)

10. Kansas State Wildcats

• Overall rank: No. 21
• Strength of schedule: 64th
• Nonconference games: vs. North Dakota (FCS; Aug. 30), vs. No. 96 Army (Sept. 6)
• Notable conference games: at No. 33 Baylor (Oct. 4), vs. No. 32 TCU (Oct. 11), at No. 30 Kansas (Oct. 25)

11. Arizona Wildcats

• Overall rank: 69th
• Strength of schedule: 65th
• Nonconference games: vs. No. 102 Hawaii (Aug. 30), vs. Weber State (FCS; Sept. 6)
• Notable conference games: vs. No. 29 BYU (Oct. 11), vs. No. 30 Kansas (Nov. 8), at No. 24 Arizona State (Nov. 28)

12. Colorado Buffaloes

• Overall rank: 49th
• Strength of schedule: 67th
• Nonconference games: vs. No. 28 Georgia Tech (Aug. 29), vs. No. 126 Delaware (Sept. 6)
• Notable conference games: vs. No. 29 BYU (Sept. 27), at No. 32 TCU (Oct. 4), at No. 24 Arizona State (Nov. 22)

13. Texas Tech Red Raiders

• Overall rank: 35th
• Strength of schedule: 69th
• Nonconference games: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (FCS; Aug. 30), vs. No. 136 Kent State (Sept. 6), vs. No. 80 Oregon State (Sept. 13)
• Notable conference games: at No. 24 Arizona State (Oct. 18), at No. 21 Kansas State (Nov. 1), vs. No. 29 BYU (Nov. 8)

14. Arizona State Sun Devils

• Overall rank: 24th
• Strength of schedule: 73rd
• Nonconference games: vs. Northern Arizona (FCS; Aug. 30), at No. 52 Mississippi State (Sept. 6), vs. No. 88 Texas State (Sept. 13)
• Notable conference games: at No. 33 Baylor (Sept. 20), vs. No. 32 TCU (Sept. 26), vs. No. 69 Arizona (Nov. 28)

15. BYU Cougars

• Overall rank: 29th
• Strength of schedule: 74th
• Nonconference games: vs. Portland State (FCS; Aug. 30), vs. No. 64 Stanford (Sept. 6), at No. 72 East Carolina (Sept. 13)
• Notable conference games: vs. No. 46 Utah (Oct. 18), at No. 35 Texas Tech (Nov. 8), vs. No. 32 TCU (Nov. 15)

16. Houston Cougars

• Overall rank: 75th
• Strength of schedule: 75th
• Nonconference games: vs. Stephen F. Austin (FCS; Aug. 28), at No. 106 Rice (Sept. 6), at No. 80 Oregon State (Sept. 26)
• Notable conference games: vs. No. 35 Texas Tech (Oct. 4), at No. 24 Arizona State (Oct. 25), vs. No. 32 TCU (Nov. 22)